Put next year's holiday on ice

words by Storm Simpson

Arctic exploration veterans Quark Expeditions have announced plans for
their first land-based adventure to the Arctic Circle. The trips,
which will start in 2015, will be taking visitors to Arctic Watch
Wilderness Lodge on Somerset Island, Nunavut, giving them a chance
to see a host of Arctic wildlife, including the endangered beluga
whale.

The ten-day trips will be running over the summer of 2015
between 30 June and 12 August, coinciding with the legendary Arctic
white nights. Starting in Yellowknife, Canada you take the
expedition's flight over a thousand miles north, deep into the
Arctic.

After a short walk across the tundra and an even shorter boat
ride across the Cunningham river, you end up on the rugged Somerset
Island - rated as the top whale watching site on the globe.

With a packed itinerary ranging from hiking in the tundra to
lectures from residential scientists, there is plenty for you to
get your teeth into. The highlight of the trip is the chance to
encounter beluga whales who, for the summer months only, join
together in their thousands less than a mile from the lodge at the
Cunningham River estuary - the same estuary featured in Sir David
Attenborough's Frozen Planet BBC documentary.

The white whales are now classed as endangered in Northern
Canada making this close encounter even more special. Guides will
use hydrophones to give you the unique chance to listen to their
underwater calls.

There is more than just wildlife on offer, and the opportunity
to visit five Thule (ancestors of the modern Inuit) sites will give
you an insight into the ancient Inuit history. Cape Anne is the
largest Thule site in the area with 15 bone and stone house
remaining. The trip concludes with a kayaking trip down the
Cunningham River before you hop back onto the plane to Yellowknife
for your final night.

Prices for the Arctic Watch Lodge expedition start at £4,845
per person based on double occupancy. Flights to and from
Yellowknife in Canada are not included. For more details visit the Quark Expeditions website.